Whatever disappointments came from northern hemisphere sides in the World Cup,
fans can find succour in the world’s best club rugby competition. While
excitement is guaranteed; who will shine is altogether less certain.

Irrespective of when they exited or how well or poorly they played, those players who went to the World Cup will vary in their performances in the Heineken Cup.

It will not be lack of effort or application, but they were so focused on the World Cup that it is almost impossible for them to simply switch into club mode. Whichever sides’ stars find their form first will go a long way to deciding the crucial first few pool games. This is significant because as only one team per pool is guaranteed to progress, a bad start could be irredeemable.

For example, will the French internationals be buoyed by knowing they pushed the world champions right to the edge or will they carry residual disaffection from knowing they could, possibly should, have won on that day?

Their reaction is particularly important for sides such as Biarritz, who rely heavily on Imanol Harinordoquy and Dimitri Yachvili. Ordinarily, they would be favourites against Ospreys, whose austerity drive makes them something of an unknown quantity. The Welsh side look short of depth and even with home advantage it looks a tall order against tough French opponents.

It is the same story for the other French sides, Toulouse and Clermont Auvergne, where almost half of their regulars are returning.

Toulouse will be favourites for many and their pedigree means they know what it takes to win this competition but their international players have shown that they can be strangely languid and Gloucester need to demonstrate that they deserve to be playing at this level. Leicester’s form makes this pool difficult to gauge.

Clermont are favourites and would normally challenge the midlands side for top place. But, if Ulster pull off a surprise with home advantage, the pool would be wide open.

For the Irish provinces the Heineken Cup is a tournament they have almost made their own. Again, the return of players such as Paul O’Connell and Doncha O’Callaghan is welcome but only if they can produce the belligerent games that have underpinned the Munster challenge over the past few years.

Without their physical presence even the fortress of Thomond Park might fall to a resolute challenge from Northampton in what is arguably the tie of the weekend.

Harlequins will be glad their opening fixture is at home. Their opponents, Connacht, may not be short of motivation as they take up the place created by Leinster lifting the trophy last year, but Quins’ form should see them to their 11th win in a row. Although they have Toulouse in their group, if Quins maintain their momentum they will push the French aristocrats close in their pool.

It will be interesting to see whether the Welsh sides are able to build on a successful World Cup. The players are in great shape and the Welsh challenge for the Heineken Cup has been woeful hitherto. It is about time they made a serious bid to lift the trophy and Scarlets have home advantage against Castres.

The Scottish challenge looks like it has in previous years — competitive but likely to fail because of lack of depth in their squads.

Last, but by no means least, Saracens will be one to watch this year. The development of a squad capable of winning in whatever way is necessary has been a revelation. The signing of Wigan’s Joel Tomkins shows their expanding vision and they might be worth a punt.

MORE THOUGHTS OF CHAIRMAN MOORE: The Wit and Wisdom of Brian Moore Vol. II, is published today by Simon & Schuster, (RRP £18.99). Hardback is available from Telegraph Books for £16.99 plus £1.25 p&p. To order your copy please call 0844 871 1515 or go to books.telegraph.co.uk

'Free speech' could cost Eliota dearEliota Fuimaono-Sapolu, the Gloucester and Samoa centre, recently got a six-month suspended ban from the International Rugby Board for outbursts during the Rugby World Cup.

He has now been banned for three weeks by the Rugby Football Union for further comments made on Twitter.

Fuimaono-Sapolu had a legitimate gripe about the treatment of Tier 2 Nations who had to cope with an unfair schedule at the World Cup that made them play games with only four days rest. Had he left it at that it would be possible to have some sympathy, but his further comments display naive idiocy or wilful arrogance, either of which means he deserves whatever is coming his way.

His comments about the refereeing of Nigel Owens in the South Africa v Samoa game were offensive and unfounded, and his use of the terms 'holocaust’ and 'genocide’ within the wider debate showed a frightening lack of perspective.

He has now compounded this by inaccurately claiming that the IRB sanction was illegal for unfairness according to employment law. As Fuimaono-Sapolu has some form of legal qualification he ought to know that employment law does not apply and that claiming unfairness is likely to trigger his suspension. He went on to tweet that his sentence was a small price for his freedom of speech and that he was lucky because Nelson Mandela got 21 years.

Sorry Eliota, but I’ve met President Mandela and you are no Mandela and, by the way, he got life and served 27 years.

The employment law that Fuimaono-Sapolu ought to be concerned about is the contract with his employer Gloucester Rugby Club, who have been deprived of his services for at least three weeks and potentially much longer. He may find they have a different view about free speech, especially when most of his is inaccurate, offensive or stupid.